The efficacy of endogenous gibberellic acid for parthenocarpy in eggplant (<i>Solanum melongena</i> L.)

Abstract

Eggplants are generally grown by winter in Mediterranean areas. Therefore, growers prefer to use parthenocarpic fruit and plant growth regulators. This study determined the relationship between flower development and gibberellic acid (GA₃) levels in parthenocarpic and non-parthenocarpic eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) genotypes. A single crop was grown in an unheated greenhouse at the Bati Akdeniz Agricultural Research Institute, Antalya, Turkey, and samples were collected from November to March, GA₃ levels were measured with reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography at five different stages between small buds and small fruits. The results showed that there was no relationship between flower development and GA₃ levels in parthenocarpic and non-parthenocarpic eggplant genotypes.

Key words: HPLC, relation, cultivation, greenhouse, genotype, flower.